The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-17
JOHN GREENLEAE WHITTIER
Efghtieth Anniversary of His Birthday-Ho'
The Old Poet Looks and Talks.

Eightieth Anniversary of His Birthday-How
the Old Poet Looks and Talks.
Danvers Letter in New York Herald.
A Herald correspondent found the Abolition
list poet" among his books IL the sunny recep-
ton room. Mr.. Whittier had been i'll for sever
al days and was just getting around the house
again.
II am glad to see thee" said the poet extend
ing soft, white hand and smiling old-fash-
Toned New England welcome I have known
the Herald very well for many years 1t said
many kind things about when / was younger
and able to work | am past labor now but the
Herald is still young and vigorous, and thou art
welcome to an old mans home and hearth"
He led the way into his large, square recep-
tion-room, half library. half parlor, and motion
place. where big oak butt" evidently cut
from the growth Oak kroll, warmed the
room and suggested scenes from the poets
Mr. Whttiers step is quick and firm, and save
for sunken eyes and culver of the undsrlip he
might easily be taken for man of sixty He
wears a long black Prince Albert coat with a
wide black velvet coat. that comes down in front
nearly to his waist allowing a view of his black
waistcoat white shirt front, big rundown col
lar and dark tie. A piece of silk tape is around
his neck and serves as guard for his watch.
carried in his upper left hand waistcoat pocket.
and for his eold-framed glasses. which fall at his
side. Low shoes. gray wooden stockings. and
roomY pepper and salt trousers make up his
wearing apparel He wears a full white beard
and mustache.
He sat in his big, gray plush covered arm
chair with his right hand his knee, while
his left held up his bearded chin and told how
he passed the closing days of life
Il must tell them / am not WELL said he
Men at nv time of life cannot expect To be
very active. / miss my old days of exercise
very much. A little walk makes me weary now
30 have to lie down and rest Still have no
pain complain of, and know it is not disease
but old age that ais me-
do you have much company was asked.
Sometimes do, and then 1 am left pretty
much alone. Except my good neighbors and
friends l do not care to see many people now.
New faces not remembered, and most of
those who come to see me now do so out of Curl
osity, and ask me questions that l do not care to
answer"
What kind of questions DO they ask!'
81 think / had better not tell thee They
mean all right, only they forget l old
man and cannot put force into my ideas as did
once"
1T can be no harm. and may DO you good by
keeping such people away"
True, very true. will tell thee. A great
many nice people como here-school teachers,
editors, literary people and foreign tourists-and
me much by asking questions about my
poetry. A school teacher from Boston-a fine
young woman-caled one day and spent all
the afternoon In asking me about how
l wrote Maud Muller L told her l did not
know. The idea came to me without name at
first and kept singing in my head until gave it
a name and put it on paper. Then she asked me
IL Maud Muller was real live person whom L
had known and if the Judge lived in Amesbury
and what his name was. She was terribly sur
prised when told her all the characters in this
poem were the 'baseless fabric OF vision She
told me she should never like the poem SO well
after what had said After that she asked me
how my ideas came to me; if / dreamed them,
or how got them. Thou knowest no man can
tell how or why he thinks. I could tell her
nothing about it I fear she was disappointed"
"Do you have many callers like herr
Eyes, more than 1 care to see. aud many that
are worse and who are not half so sincere One
day an English tourist came down TO AmeshuFy
to My home was not over two minutes
walk from the depot, but he took a carriage and
rode up to the gate When he dismounted, and
$hn Artu chnxv cd r i'm h0 lac a
my humble home and said he did not care to see
me. He probably fancied lived in style. like
Tennryson There is no display here. and
what do most of your visitors ask you
abcut2'
..Oh everything almost The great question.
of late, is an international copyright. l have
never studied the subject at all. am not
moneygetter. / write because | want to, or to
has come me- For more than that do NOT
care
Others ask me about politics. aud what I
should advise regarding the colored people at the
South don't know How can l tell them1 |
knew slavery was wrong, and wrote against 1t
felt The and women who worked
with me in the cause are all gone now, and
have not kept up with the times"
Are all the old A oolitonists who were your
acquaintances dead"
Yes think Phillips. Greeley, Garrison
and Beecher have passed over"
'sWell, there is Mrs. ii. B. Stowe"
Thou art kind to tell me of her. She lives;
true. true. She was a noble woman and did
valiant service. / not alone
'.And Mrs. Julia Ward Howel'
YEA but she was young then and her hus-
band was working for another cause"
DO you ever express opinion on the sub
iects asked2"
Very rarely. My day has gone by. / live
among my books. my friends and my flowers.
If a man to ask me abont the best breed of
hens 1 should tell him liked this kind" The
poet pointed out into his yard, where n large
flock of Plymouth Rocks were running about,
and smiled knowingly
..Of flowers l like hollyhocks and pansies.
They are pretty, simple, anu old fashioned OF
friends like those who can remember the old
days, and like to talk about them"
do you read 10 uch!
''Yes. but do not read q book through. 1